From affordable, energy-efficient housing to inspiring care homes, each of our projects tells the story of a unique challenge and its unique solution.
Tooley Foster is fully committed to providing the best possible service through all stages of the design and construction process.
For every project, no matter its size, we will provide a high degree of expertise and a competitive fee structure. We can offer strategic framework agreements with clients and are actively involved in Partnering on many projects.
Design / Engagement / Planning / Impact Management / Conservation / Built Environment / Project Management / Technical Delivery / Principal Designer / Feasibility Studies
Our range experience allows us to operate across many sectors; please follow the links below where you can find examples of our work:
We know the future is low carbon and everyone can make a difference; architects are in a unique position to make this happen: Tooley Foster have been there from the start.
Described as 'Passivhaus specialists' by the Governments Commercial Function in their 2022 report on Zero Carbon & Sustainability in Construction; we have amassed 12 years Passivhaus experience and over 30 years experience creating low energy buildings. Peter Ranken, Director of Sustainability at Tooley Foster, heads up the Passivhaus team and delivers a range of services, including:
In addition, we use the Passivhaus Planning Package (PHPP) to achieve the AECB Building Standard which offers performance improvements above Building Regulations standards but with similar cost.
Gales Place in Crawley
We are committed to the integration of Passivhaus, low energy practice in the design and construction sectors and support all measures to reduce energy use to address climate change. We were early signatories to Architects Declare and deliver workshops and lectures on Passivhaus design, including contributory modules on environmental building performance at Anglia Ruskin University. Our low energy and Passivhaus projects include buildings for local councils, the NHS and a range of arms length public bodies, these include:
Accredited Passivhaus Design (APD) is our partner organisation; established to deliver Passivhaus certification, consultancy as well as explore leading Passivhaus technologies and design practice.
Click through to see all our Low Energy & Passivhaus projects here.
The contribution Passivhaus can make in the fight against climate change is well documented; the economic case is perhaps less well known. To address this, we have published a new document now available for download on the our website. Reducing the cost of healthcare buildings with Passivhaus provides an easy to follow overview of Passivhaus construction techniques and principles, as well as a summary of data used in a 'real life' business case for a Passivhaus building completed in 2021.
Together with CHP and AECOM, we looked at the development of NHS community surgeries built in the last few decades, capturing detailed cost and energy usage data from two NHS health centres built in 2008 and 2014. We then compared these figures against projected data for the same buildings, but this time constructed to the Passivhaus Classic standard. This innovative research provided the economic case for the development of the UK's first Passivhaus health centre.
You can read more about Foleshill Health Centre and download the document here
Our designs should deliver benefits beyond those enjoyed by the communities who use them. One area we believe we really make a difference is in the design of healthcare related buildings & medical facilities.
Having already established a focus on healthcare with innovative designs for medical centres, hospices and surgeries; Tooley Foster Medical was launched in 2021 with new resources and expertise. Our staff are supported by Steve Muller and John Marsh, two very experienced colleagues in the design of Health facilities in the NHS, private and veterinary care sectors. Steve has worked with us as a consultant since 2005 and has nurtured specialist expertise in mental health projects. While Johns' specialism lies in laboratory projects, having worked widely on major hospital schemes, GP surgeries, MRI installations and the National Decontamination Programme. He also leads on several public sector framework projects with NHS hospitals in London and throughout the South East.
Our areas of work include:
Veterinary Hospital in Lower Langford for Bristol University
We are all sensitive to our environments, and building design impacts the health of patients in many ways. Whether by using technology to reduce disease or by more subtle changes to lighting or layout; whats clear is significantly better medical outcomes are achieved for patients where the their needs are central to building design.
Healthcare buildings are often not new. Hospitals in particular can be constrained by historic or listed building status, often requiring innovative solutions to improve healthcare standards in a way that is sympathetic to the design.
And whether for completely new developments or restoration works, implementing low energy design and construction will help meet national CO2 targets and drastically reduce a buildings running costs.
All sections scored above a 5 and given design development this means the building has the potential to be a very good public building. It could be suggested that this is an exceptional score...
We are keen to implement low energy and Passivhaus design standards and have recently completed Foleshill Health Centre in Coventry: the country’s first health centre built to Passivhaus standards.
Its opening follows four years of analysis and research by Tooley Foster, AECOM and Community Health Partnerships to establish the financial and health benefits of Passivhaus standards for medical buildings. On site for just 25 weeks, with every aspect tightly controlled and budgeted for, the Foleshill project used modular construction to keep site costs down and illustrates how factory production is no barrier to high-end, Passivhaus certification.
The building will now be used as an exemplar of good practice within the NHS. Data will continue to be collected and analysed over the next few years, providing additional evidence for investment in Passivhaus by the NHS as we near 2040.
See further examples of our extensive work in the medical & healthcare sector here.
Calcutta Road, Essex: 10 homes completed in 2020
We have a long history of being at the leading edge of developments in architecture and design. From societal benefits to new environmental standards, research and development is integral to everything we do.
Foleshill Health Centre; government NET ZERO strategy and case study, DQI report
More
Passivhaus news, including our new download 'Reducing the cost of healthcare building with Passivhaus'.
More
Passivhaus can be cheaper than standard construction for medical buildings
More
Tooley Foster Medical was launched last year culminating in the completion of Foleshill Health Centre.
More